After reading a few of the many articles that have surfaced recently since South African President Jacob Zuma had his 20^th child with a woman who is not even one of his three wives, we thought this one on www.iol.za spoke volumes for the impact his actions may have on the fight against HIV in South Africa.

The article talks of warnings from Lovelife, that the President’s actions could scupper any campaign promoting safe sex and sex with one partner.

But one of the things we were wondering is how much of an impact will this have on South Africans? Are they likely to copy President Zuma’s actions? Or do you think they are more likely to make decisions based on the information they have available?

Have a read of the articles and let us know what you think…

President’s escapades could scuttle Aids fight

By Sipokazi Maposa
Health Writer

Reports that President Jacob Zuma had unprotected, extramarital sex could harm the government’s HIV and Aids prevention efforts and its campaign against multiple sexual partners, Lovelife has warned.

Lovelife promotes HIV and Aids awareness and youth development programmes around the country.

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has also criticised Zuma for “setting a bad example” and “not walking the talk” after claims that he fathered a love child with the daughter of soccer boss Irvin Khoza.

The Sunday Times reported that four-month-old Thandekile Matina, born to Sonono Khoza, 39, was given Zuma’s surname and registered as his daughter.

This brought the number of his known children to 20.

Lovelife’s spokesperson Botha Swarts said while the organisation was encouraged by the stance taken by Zuma’s administration on the fight against HIV and Aids, the latest reports could have “damaging effects” on the government’s struggle against the pandemic.

“We are encouraged by the fact that his government has come out and taken a stand on the HIV and Aids fight. We salute their efforts on multiple sexual partners.

“We really hope that the government will continue with its objectives on HIV and Aids prevention. We are unable to comment on the president’s private life, however, we think that such allegations could harm government’s prevention efforts,” he said.

Swarts said he hoped that young South Africans were “intelligent enough” to distinguish between right and wrong, regardless of their role model’s actions.

“Young people in South Africa are not totally unintelligent. To a certain degree they are able to distinguish between elements that may lead to high risk behaviour regardless of an individual’s status or their private lives,” he said.

TAC’s general secretary, Vuyiseka Dubula, said it was “disappointing” to learn of Zuma’s alleged extramarital affairs.

“We don’t see Zuma as a role model for how men and women should behave,” she said.

What do you think of this article?

Should the President have to practice what he preaches?

Or do you think people should do as he says not as he does?

Drop us a comment and let us know…

After spotting this article about a whopping 90,000 Kenyans getting the snip since the Government launched a Rapid Results initiative at the end of 2009. Firstly a big shout out to everyone who got the snip in this drive, you are all playing your part in cutting the spread of HIV in Kenya. But bear in mind these two points;

1. Getting circumcised is only part of the battle there is still a need for you to know your status so think about getting yourself tested
   
2. Circumcision only reduces the chances of you transmitting HIV, it doesn’t make a difference to the chances of you passing it on to a woman, also it is NO substitute for condom use.
3. 90,000 is a big figure that should be applauded but lets not get it twisted there are just under 40million people living in Kenya so we know some of you reading this blog will not have taken part in this circumcision drive so we would like to hear from you about why…

Anyway, have a read and let us know what you think of this article – it is nice to see a story in the Kenyan press about the progress being made in the fight against HIV but what implications do you think this will have on HIV rates in Kenya?

90,000 Men Get the Cut in HIV Campaign
Daily Nation, Kenya

02/02/2010

Elisha Otieno

Nairobi — Some 90,000 men have been circumcised since the government launched the campaign in a bid to contain the spread of HIV.

Many of the men were circumcised during a Rapid Results Initiative drive conducted in Nyanza Province at the end of 2009.

From November 9 to December 20, some 35,000 men were circumcised in the region, according to a Male Circumcision Consortium newsletter.

Kenya is one of 14 sub-Saharan countries that have expanded Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision programmes since ground-breaking Randomised Controlled Trials conducted in Kisumu, South Africa, and Uganda revealed that the procedure reduced men’s chances of HIV infection by 60 per cent.

“Kenya was able to get off to a relatively quick start because we had a solid foundation to build on in Kisumu, where the research was conducted. And we’ve been able to build on that foundation through strong leadership from the government and excellent collaboration among all the government’s partners,” said Dr Mores Loolpapit of Family Health International.

The consortium, as one of the partners in the government’s Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision programme, is conducting research in Nyanza Province to assess the impact of expanding access to the service and to identify the most effective way of delivering the service.

According to the newsletter, seven studies are under way and results are expected over the next three years.

More than 5,000 men in Migori and Rongo districts have been circumcised since the exercise started in October.

Mr Charles Kirui, an official of the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation in the region, said local people had started changing their attitude and accepting circumcision as a way of reducing the spread of HIV and Aids.

The exercise is being conducted by the Family Aids Care and Education Services programme and the Kenya Medical Research Institute under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation.

The National Aids Control Council has released Sh30 million to boost the campaign in Nyanza.

So what did you think of the article?

Where you one of the 90,000 to get the snip in the testing drive? If so why?

Do you think these circumcisions will lead to an increase or decrease in condom use?

What implications do you think these circumcisions will have on HIV rates in Kenya?

Drop us a comment and let us know…

After hearing this news, on US site Boston.com, that Douglas Brooks who has been living with HIV for over 20 years, was appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS we felt we had to share it with you.

Brooks is an outspoken campaigner/activist on HIV related issues and seems like the ideal person, with the ideal experience to advice President Obama on his HIV policies. Lets hope that he can have a big impact on the United States, who have only recently revoked their HIV travel ban.

While we think it’s great that the United States have recognised the need for someone who is clearly experienced in issues surrounding HIV we do want to know what you think on this announcement.

What impact, if any do you think this will have on HIV policies in The United States and the rest of the world?

Do you feel that there is a need for HIV Positive people to be involved in any policy committee that is dealing with those issues??

Have a read of the article and let us know what you think…

Brooks named to AIDS Council

Mass activist joins Obama advisors

Douglas Brooks, an outspoken activist in Massachusetts who has been HIV-positive for 20 years, has been named to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

Brooks, who serves as vice president at the Justice Resource Institute in Boston, will work with Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services. The council will provide advice and recommendations to President Obama about national programs to reduce HIV infections and increase access to care.

Massachusetts has been at the forefront in HIV/AIDS policy by including those patients in the development and implementation of programs that affect them, Brooks said.

“It is right and good that we will be at the table to help lead the country in ending the pandemic,’’ he said in a statement announcing his nomination.

Governor Deval Patrick, who nominated Brooks, said that as a black gay man living with HIV, Brooks serves as a unique advocate for AIDS patients.

“Douglas is one of those rare individuals who has been able to combine a deep sense of his own identity . . . with a commitment to creative, energetic, and ongoing grassroots community organizing and the advancement of social justice,’’ Patrick said in the statement.

Brooks, a licensed social worker, has worked for decades in Boston and Provincetown on AIDS-related initiatives and is a visiting fellow at the McCormack Center for Social Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Internationally, he consults with South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province Department of Health and helped organize the first HIV-positive Consumer Conference in the Eastern Cape Province.

Brooks is also a board member of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, the AIDS Action Council in Washington, D.C., and the National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition.

© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/02/02/brooks_named_to_hivaids_council/

What did you think of this article? Drop us a comment and let us know…

So reading this article made us proud of just how successful this production was, it is crazy when we consider that this campaign was a pilot to test the success of MTV Staying Alive Ignite. Many feel that Shuga was the best production MTV Staying Alive has made, beating many great dramas and documentaries such as Transit and Xpress, so no doubt the pilot should be considered a success!

None of this would have been possible without our partners UNICEF and GPANGE backing us all the way, so big up to them and lets hope this is just the start of what could be a very successful and special relationship.

Check out the article below…

Kenyan TV drama, ‘Shuga’, entertains as it raises AIDS awareness

By Rod Huntress

NEW YORK, USA, 27 January 2010 – Partnerships play a vital role in UNICEF’s efforts to halt and reverse the HIV/AIDS pandemic. When it comes to delivering messages about HIV prevention, the organization’s work with media and entertainment partners such as MTV provides a valuable – and credible – connection to young audiences.

Yesterday at its New York headquarters, UNICEF highlighted a recent collaboration with MTV with a screening of ‘Shuga’, a three-part TV drama about a group of young friends living in Nairobi, Kenya. As they explore the complexities of love, the characters confront the risk of HIV infection – and learn that a positive test result for the virus is not a death sentence.

MTV produced the programme in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners, including the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR.

‘Meaningful engagement’

“It’s fast, it’s furious, it’s cool – and that’s exactly how we filmed it,” said actress Lupita Nyong’o, who plays a lead role in ‘Shuga’ as Ayira, a college student who finds herself torn between a boyfriend her own age and an older man. Ms. Nyong’o attended the screening and a panel discussion that followed, along with representatives of key partners in the project.

UNICEF collaborated with MTV to create ‘Shuga’, a TV drama set in Nairobi, Kenya. It includes messages about HIV prevention for young people

The series shows how some kinds of behaviour – including sexual involvement with multiple partners, sexual exploitation and alcohol abuse – can make young people more vulnerable to HIV.

During the panel discussion, PEPFAR Senior HIV/AIDS Prevention Advisor Tijuana A. James-Traore noted the programme’s power to speak effectively to young viewers.

“This is really what we mean when we talk about the meaningful engagement of young people in issues that impact their own lives,” she said. “No other person or persons, I think, could have communicated the messages in the way these young people have done.”

A regional priority

Messages about HIV and AIDS prevention are especially crucial in eastern and southern Africa, the heart of the global epidemic. Sixty per cent of HIV infections among young people last year occurred in this region alone.

“Young women in Eastern and Southern Africa are particularly severely affected by HIV,” said the Senior Specialist in HIV Prevention with UNICEF’s Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign, Susan Kasedde.

“In some countries, as many as three young women to each young man are infected,” she added.

Lupita Nyong’o, a star of the Kenyan TV drama ‘Shuga’, attended a screening of the programme at UNICEF headquarters and took part in a panel discussion that followed.

Starting a dialogue

While popular dramas like ‘Shuga’ will not end the epidemic on their own, they can lead to dialogue about the risks of HIV infection. They can also help to combat the stigma that people living with the virus sometimes face.

“We’re not the silver bullet,” said MTV International’s Vice President for Social Responsibility, John Jackson. “We’re not going to solve this problem. But we’re a critical player in getting a certain section of our community to think, to have a conversation they might not have otherwise.”

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is assessing the effectiveness of ‘Shuga’ in changing behaviour within its target audience. For some members of the cast, that change has already begun.

“Especially where we were doing the scenes where we were doing the HIV testing,” said Lupita Nyong’o, “there was a hush on the set. It was a heavy time for us, and a lot of the actors said, ‘This is real. Yeah, this is real – and I need to make a change in my life.”

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/kenya_52616.html

So what did you think of this article? The article talks about meaningful engagement, on a local level so just how important do you feel this is in the fight against HIV?

We along with UNICEF and GPANGE feel Shuga was one of the most successful shows we have made at MTV Staying Alive, but what do you think? And what was your favourite bit?

If you would like the opportunity to win a copy of Shuiga we currently have a competition running until the end of the week, all you have to do is drop us a comment here, or on the competition page:

http://igniteblog.staying-alive.org/kenya/its-competition-time/

Telling us your favourite scene and favourite character in Shuga and why… It’s that simple!

We would like to echo the statement that UNAIDS released, commending the Bill & Melissa Gates Foundation for their commitment to the cause by pledging to spend USD 10 billion into research and development of HIV Vaccines over the next ten years. Wow is all we can say, that huge amount of money is exactly what we need in the fight against HIV so props to Bill & Melissa Gates as their Foundation are doing so much in the fight against HIV.

UNAIDS Commends Commitment By The Bill & Melissa Gates Foundation To Advancing Research and Development

UNAIDS strongly applauds today’s announcement by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to invest USD 10 billion into research and development of vaccines over the next 10 years.

The announcement, made at the World Economic Forum in Davos, is a welcome step forward in commitment to vaccine research, however large gaps in funding for the research and development of vaccines still remain.

“The best hope for ending the AIDS epidemic lies in a developing a vaccine,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “A vaccine for HIV would save millions of lives and I call on both governments and the private sector to follow this example and scale-up their commitment to this important area of work in health and development.”

The long term response to the AIDS epidemic depends on progress in HIV prevention research and continued funding for scientific research and development. A vaccine for HIV still remains many years away and UNAIDS will continue to advocate to advance the research and development agenda at national, regional and global levels to bring the quest for a vaccine closer.

Source
UNAIDS
What do you think of this article? Do you think other companies should follow suit and throw their weight behind the fight against HIV?

Drop us a comment and let us know…

Photo by The Times Online

Just spotted this article on China’s global Newspaper – China Daily about an Indian fashion designer who  to promote safe sex – designed a shirt made entirely of condoms!

Designer Manufactures Condom Shirt

An Indian fashion designer has designed a shirt covered in condoms to promote the idea of safer sex.

M.A. Rahman sent the shirt to the secretary general of the UN, the Austrian Times reports.

Rahman said: “AIDS has killed more than 25 million people so far and an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with HIV. The world need more awareness campaign for the protection from this deadly virus.

“I hope that my condom Kurta shirt, a traditional Indian shirt, will encourage people to think about protection against unsafe sex.”

He added: “The UN thanked me via email and encouraged by this I also approached the health minister of India – but they didn’t pay any attention to me.”

Rahman used 1,025 condoms in each shirt, with some stitched to the front and an emergency supply included in the collar.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2010-01/30/content_9402578.htm

So what do you think of the shirt (above) A good look? Would you wear that on the regular?

Regardless of what you think of the actual shirt, using fashion to promote safe sex is a big step in recognise the risk of HIV and other STD’s – Do you think there is space for other brands/fashion designers to spread positive messages of sexual health?

Dtop us a comment and let us know…

We spotted this article on AllAfrica.com about Kenyan efforts to improve the health of HIV patients by utilising  their mobile phones to measure the effectiveness of the Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) amonst sufferers. We feel this is really positive, especially considering the fact that mobile phone use is so widespread, and provide a direct realtime link from the patient and the clinic.

Have a read of the article and let us know what you think…

Ongoing Study To Improve Health Of HIV Patients Through Mobile Use

AllAfrica.com

29 January 2010

Nairobi — A new study on mobile use to improve the health of people on Anti retroviral drugs is ongoing in Kenya.

An initiative called Weltel is carrying out research to harness mobile telephone use to improve health systems management and patient care in resource-limited settings.

Weltel was conceived by clinicians and scientists involved in HIV and AIDS care in Kenya who noticed the impact mobile communications has had on the daily lives of people in the region.

The researchers believe that mobile phone communications can strengthen health management and thus help save lives.

Currently, they are conducting clinical trials to measure the effectiveness text mobile messages in improving patient adherence and response to Highly-Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in two sites-Nairobi and Kajiado district in the Rift Valley province.

The research, which has been going on for the past year will ease the burden of overstretched health systems and provide rapid access to healthcare as well as provide long life for PLHIV, according to the researchers.

The initiative, sponsored by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – PEPFAR Public Health Evaluation (PHE) and the International Development Research Centre’s Africa Health Systems Initiative Support to African Research Partnerships (AHSI-RES), will spread out its wings to the Sub -Saharan Africa once the study is complete.

The initiator and principal investigator is from Canada, Dr. Richard Lester.

What did you think?

What are the other ways in which new technology could be utilised to treat other aspects of HIV – such as prevention, or even testing… Is texting for free condoms or getting a text letting you know your status, or reminding you to get tested realistically a good idea?

If you are from Kenya have you experiencesd any of the communication that is being talked about in this article?

drop us a comment anmd let us know…

Have a read of this article from UNAIDS about plans to rebuild Haiti for the better after the Caribbean island with the most sever HIV epidemic was devastated by the huge earthquake they suffered.

We feel this is an important pledge by UNAIDS Executive Director Michelle Sidibe, and the commitment suggests that at least some good may be able to come out of the disaster that killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

Building Haiti’s AIDS Response Better

29^th Jan 2010

As Haiti begins to rebuild after the destruction left by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck 10 miles outside Port-au-Prince on 12 January, first reports are coming in on the impact the tremble has had on Haiti’s AIDS response.

Haiti is the country with the most severe HIV epidemic among the Caribbean states–home to half of all people living with HIV in the region. Before the quake, there were an estimated 120 000 people living with HIV in the country with an estimated 6 800 children under the age of 15 also carrying the virus.

Data is starting to emerge on people living with HIV who have been affected by the quake and on critical infrastructure needed to provide essential services. An initial report estimates that out of 120 000 people living with HIV just under 70 000 live in affected areas. Prior to the quake, around 19 000 people were estimated to be on Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART).

Michel Sidibé UNAIDS Executive Director

“The world has a real opportunity to rebuild Haiti better, we must sustain the outpour of support now and tomorrow,” Mr Michel Sidibé UNAIDS Executive Director said when speaking of the pledges made by the international community.

The UNAIDS country team and cosponsors are working with the government of Haiti and partners such as PEPFAR and Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB and Malaria as well as non-governmental organisations to gather information to asses the impact of the quake on clinics, lab equipment and as well as human resources. It is now critical that HIV prevention, treatment care and support services are resumed in affected areas.

The UNAIDS country team met staff working in Haiti’s oldest ART centre GHESKIO. The organization provides treatment for 6000 people of whom 80% have now been accounted for.
UN Health Cluster coordination meeting in Port-au-Prince
Credit: UNAIDS

While the clinic has suffered some damage to its structure, essential equipment and tragically also suffered human losses, staff at GHESKIO reported that they have enough stock of anti-retrovirals to cover the immediate need.

Other centres were not as fortunate. The UNAIDS country team visited the Hospital de la Paix which provides prevention of mother-to-child transmission services in Port-au-Prince. Here staff reported destruction of stock as well as lack of financial abilities to buy breast milk substitute necessary to prevent transmission from mother to child through the breast milk. Services at the clinic were only resumed 12 days after the quake.

Members of the UN country team on AIDS will visit five major PMTCT centres in the coming days to establish if similar damages are found.

We are seeing real suffering. It is in moments like this where those most at risk are forgotten. We must ensure that the marginalized members of our communities have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

Michel Sidibé UNAIDS Executive Director

An initial situational analysis indicate immediate short term needs include limiting treatment interruption, provide nutritional support of people on treatment, and make sure PMTCT services are resumed. Networks of people living with HIV report that they urgently need food and water, tents, and hygiene kit in meeting with the UNAIDS country team.

In Haiti heterosexual transmission, often tied to sex work, is the primary source of HIV transmission although emerging evidence indicated that substantial transmission is also occurring among men who have sex with men. A challenge will be to ensure that key prevention commodities are made available to the displaced populations in and around Port-au-Prince.

“We are seeing real suffering. It is in moments like this where those most at risk are forgotten. We must ensure that the marginalized members of our communities have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services,” Mr Sidibé said, promising that UNAIDS would be part of the global effort to support Haiti to build a better tomorrow.

UNAIDS is committed to working with the Haitian government and other development partners such as Global Fund and PEPFAR to look at how Haiti’s AIDS response can be strengthened over the long-term.

Support is needed to re-establish the AIDS-infrastructure as well as strengthening civil society, ensuring special attention towards HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services to populations at higher risk and put in place on coordinating authority to ensure no gaps or overlaps in the national response.

http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2010/20100128_Haiti.asp

What do you think of the article? Do you think UNAIDS are correct to focus their efforts on Haiti after this disaster?

Drop us a comment below…

After finding out about Queens Rapper Traum’s intention of donating a proportion of his profits from his Mad Dreamz tour to HIV prevention, treatment of infections and AIDS, we thought this was something you guys had to check ou

This also begs the question; why don’t more musicians do this? And do you think there is a responsibility for musicians and other public figures to play their part in the fight against HIV/AIDS?

Have a read of the article and let us know.

Queens Rapper (TRAUM) Fights Against HIV/AIDS

Hip hop maestro and the driving force behind the New York Masta Mix Records label, Traum, proudly announces the release of his debut album “Mad Dreamz”. Mad Dreamz is in stores now on Masta Mix Records / Island Def Jam Distribution and features collaborations with Cormega, Lil Fame of M.O.P., Screwball, Big Noyd and many more, this release features some of the illest sounds ever to spit out of the ghetto including beats by the legendary producer Ayatollah.

Credibility is crucial in any industry but when it comes to a music scene where “real recognize real” is the overriding mantra, New York native Traum walks it like he talks it.

Bloodlines in Hip Hop’s crowded family tree can be hard to explain but Traum’s pedigree is nothing short of thoroughbred: born in the Bronx, the birthplace of the genre and then raised in Queens, Traum was practically destined for his current role as one of the east coast’s hottest artists and most innovative independent label bosses.

Masta Mix Records has already seen success with past projects such as Natural Born Killas Vol., 1 NYOIL – Hood Treason and DJ GMF – Love The Game as well as many Hit singles such as Cormega – Extreme Wit 16 and A+ – Put your hands in the air. You can currently find Masta Mix Records products in FYE stores, amazon.com, ITUNES and other major chains around the country via Island Def Jam.

In addition to the album Traum will be headlining the Mad Dreamz tour and a portion of the proceeds will fund research to improve prevention, detection and treatment of HIV infection and AIDS. Traum is currently looking for sponsors to support the cause. If interested please contact us at mastamix21(at)gmail(dot)com

Track Listing

1. Traum’s Taking Over Intro

2. What What!

3. Hip Hop (Ft. Big Noyd)

4. Back That *ss Up

5. Bang Bang

6. Blast Off (Ft. Lil Fame of M.O.P. and Cormega)

7. Interlude

8. Mad Dreamz

9. Live From Hell

10. Lets Do It

11. Some N*gg*s Eat

12. Queens Anthem (Ft. Screwball)

13. Outro

For more info on Traum go to:

http://www.myspace.com/traumthemc

http://www.mastaent.com

This is an interesting article, about a HIV positive woman who has been granted custody of her younger, orphaned brother. We feel this is one huge step in the battle against HIV stigma and discriminations, but as we thought it would be quite a controversial topic we though we would find out what you think…
HIV-positive Russian woman wins child custody case.

Published 25 January, 2010, 22:40

Edited 26 January, 2010, 16:28

A Russian woman won a precedent-setting victory against widespread discrimination on Monday when a court awarded her custody of her orphaned younger brother.

“Children are better off in a family than in an orphanage,” Svetlana Izambayeva said. “All the more so because this is my brother, and he is very proud that he has such a sister, who taught him to read at a speed of 140 words per minute.”

Izambayeva, 29, winner of a Miss Positive beauty pageant for HIV-positive women, applied for custody of her 11-year-old brother after their mother died.

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan ruled in Izambayeva’s favour after she appealed the decision of a Kazan city court denying her custody on the grounds that she was HIV positive.

http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-01-25/hiv-positive-woman-wins.html

So what is your opinion of this ruling? Do you think it is a no-brainer and your HIV status should not dictate your ability to look after a child? Or do you think it is a bit more complicated?

Drop us a comment and let us know…